Waveform detection, in particular for the representation of the root mean square of a waveform
The instantaneous value of an intermediate waveform I is the instantaneous value of a unipolar waveform U multiplied through amplification by an upscaling factor UF of 1.5. A plateau value P is subtracted from the intermediate value I, and the result of this subtraction is multiplied by a multiplication factor MF of 0.6. The result of the multiplication is added to the plateau value P, which sum becomes an auxiliary waveform A. During the ‘fall-below’ periods F, the value of a combined waveform C is arranged to follow whichever is the highest of the auxiliary value A and the plateau value P. Outside the fall-below periods, the value of the combined waveform C follows whichever is the highest of the unipolar value U and the plateau value P. This combined waveform C has, for a given plateau level P, a narrower fall-below window. Phase-chopping thus has an effect on the power of the output signal over a greater range of the cycle than can be provided by the corresponding prior art arrangement.
This invention relates to a method of generating a waveform, for use for example in providing information relating to a detected waveform or for use in stabilising the detected waveform. The invention relates also to corresponding apparatus. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to algorithms for the representation of the root mean square (R.M.S.) value of certain detected (voltage) waveforms. The detected waveforms may be A.C., or cyclically varying unipolar. The representation may be used to stabilise or to present in some form this R.M.S. value.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe advantages of powering lighting from a low voltage power supply are well known. Low voltage lighting is ‘softer’ and generally more preferable to high voltage lighting. The disadvantages of low voltage lighting are also well known. The main disadvantage is power loss in transmission cables linking a power supply with a lamp load. Lower voltage results in a higher current for a given power, resulting in greater power loss in the transmission cables. As well as the efficiency disadvantages of this, this creates control problems. In particular, the voltage drop across the transmission cables constitutes a significant proportion of the supply voltage. Consequently, it can be difficult to stabilise the supply voltage across the load at a required value from the power supply, which provides a source voltage. For the same reasons, it can be difficult to determine from the source voltage at the power supply what is the supply voltage across the light load. These problems apply also to the supply of low voltage power to loads other than light loads. The problems increase as the length of the transmission cables increases.
A known system 10 is illustrated in
In most cases involving stabilisation, the controlled intervention in the transmission of the source waveform Vsource to the load 12 is by an electronic switch, which temporarily interrupts the current to the load 12, thereby temporarily reducing the supply waveform voltage to zero or near zero, for a time necessary to reduce the RMS value of the supply waveform to the required stabilised level. This typically occurs in each half cycle of the V source waveform. The period of interruption for each half-cycle can be from the beginning of the half cycle until a phase-chopping angle at which conduction of current starts, as shown in
The Vsupply waveform is an example of a ‘detected waveform’ whose RMS value is required to be represented. The represented RMS value can be used to stabilise the waveform through interruption control, and can be used. for presentation. The detected waveform most commonly is sinusoidal AC (as in
The rectified waveform may conveniently be derived from the AC detected waveform by full-wave bridge rectification, provided that the waveform voltage is high enough to make acceptable the inaccuracies necessarily caused by diode volt drops. A more accurate derivation is firstly to take one of the AC lines as ground so that the detected waveform is on the second AC line, to then generate by precision means an inversion (interchange of positive and negative values) of the detected waveform and finally use precision diode techniques to generate a “linear ‘OR’” function by which the rectified waveform follows whichever at any instant is the more positive of the detected waveform and the inversion waveform. Unipolar detected waveforms, such as those shown in
In known algorithms, a combined waveform C is derived from the unipolar waveform. The instantaneous value of this combined waveform, represented in
According to these algorithms, the mean value of the combined waveform C is taken as a representation of the RMS value of the detected waveform. This mean value clearly is not immediately available as an existing measurable value. Accordingly, a representation of the mean value (and thus of the RMS value), hereinafter called the ‘mean representation’ must be derived. There are numerous ways of automatically deriving the mean representation. The simplest mean representation is as a voltage value, referred to ground. This can be derived most simply by simple or multistage filtering of the combined waveform, which must be represented as a voltage waveform referred to ground, as in
The mean representation can, for stabilisation, be used to calculate or derive a correction to the conduction angle (or other controlled intervention in the transmission) for subsequent half cycles. For presentation, the mean representation can be used to control or update an analogue, digital or other presentation means of the RMS value. For stabilisation, an error signal is generated by comparing the mean representation with a set target level, representing the required stabilised level of the RMS value. This can be used to adjust the conduction angle or other parameter of a controlled intervention to the required level. For presentation, if a sufficiently constant mean representation is available over the whole of the half-cycle, it can control the presentation means directly. Otherwise, the error signal, generated by comparing the mean representation with the level of a store holding the presented RMS value, can be used to adjust the store to the new level of the mean representation.
A stabilising circuit is illustrated in
The instantaneous value of the plateau waveform, hereinafter called the ‘plateau value’, is approximately constant over each half cycle, as shown in
The plateau level setting factors may deviate from 0.78 for detected waveforms of certain shapes, for better matching of the mean representation to the RMS value of the detected waveform. The reasonably constant shape and value of the plateau waveform has been theoretically and empirically shown to give good matching for detected waveforms produced by phase-chopping Vsource waveforms approximating to a sine wave. For distorted waveforms modified by other types of intervention, other plateau waveforms may give the best matching.
In the most convenient arrangements where the waveforms are represented as analogue voltage waveforms referred to ground, the mean representation and any set target level are reasonably constant voltages referred to ground. Here, the reasonably constant plateau waveform P, similarly referred to ground, may be derived simply from whichever of the mean representation voltage and the set target level voltage is relevant, using an attenuating resistor network (not shown) returned to ground voltage.
A disadvantage with the above described algorithm is that changes in the unipolar waveform at values below the plateau waveform P value have no effect on the combined waveform C. For unipolar waveforms U whose shape when uninterrupted approximates a full-wave rectified sine wave, as shown in
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of generating a waveform, for use for example in providing information relating to a detected waveform or for use in stabilising the detected waveform, the method comprising:
-
- upscaling the detected waveform or a waveform derived therefrom;
- determining the difference between the upscaled waveform or a waveform derived therefrom and a plateau waveform or a waveform derived therefrom;
- scaling the difference so determined; and
- combining the scaled difference with the plateau waveform or a waveform derived therefrom.
Preferably the combining is effected by addition.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for generating a waveform, for use for example in providing information relating to a detected waveform or for use in stabilising the detected waveform, the apparatus comprising:
-
- upscaling means for upscaling the detected waveform or a waveform derived therefrom;
- determining means for determining the difference between the upscaled waveform or a waveform derived therefrom and a plateau waveform or a waveform derived therefrom;
- scaling means for scaling the difference so determined; and
- combining means for combining the scaled difference with the plateau waveform or a waveform derived therefrom to provide an auxiliary waveform.
Preferably the combining means provides the auxiliary waveform by adding the scaled difference to the plateau waveform or waveform derived therefrom.
The fall-below periods for the auxiliary waveform thus are reduced, thereby allowing more control of the output power over a greater proportion of the input wave cycle without a reduction in the plateau value.
Preferably the combining step comprises adding the scaled difference to the plateau waveform or waveform derived therefrom.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings:
In the first embodiment, the combined waveform (
The instantaneous value of the intermediate waveform I is the instantaneous value of the unipolar waveform U, hereafter termed the unipolar value, shown in
The instantaneous value of the auxiliary waveform A, hereafter termed the auxiliary value, is calculated or derived by subtracting the plateau value P from the intermediate value I, and multiplying the result of this subtraction by a multiplication factor MF. In this example, the multiplication factor MF is approximately equal to 0.6, but it can take a different value, for example to provide greater accuracy when using different shaped detected waveforms. The result of the multiplication is added to the plateau value P, which sum becomes the auxiliary value of the auxiliary waveform A. Where the waveforms are voltages referred to ground, the auxiliary waveform A may be generated simply using a suitable attenuating resistor network connected between the intermediate waveform I voltage and the plateau waveform P voltage. In this case, the plateau voltage P acts as an on zero volt reference for attenuation equivalent to the above-described algorithm for calculating or deriving the auxiliary value.
During the ‘fall-below’ periods F, the value of a combined waveform is arranged to follow whichever is the highest of the auxiliary value A and the plateau value P. Outside the fall-below periods F, the value of the combined waveform is arranged to take that of the combined waveform of
This operation can be performed by providing as the combiner 22 of
In
It will however be understood that the invention may make use of additional and different ‘fall-below’ periods, similarly defined by additional plateau waveforms with different values. During these fall below periods, additional auxiliary waveforms may be produced using the same or different factors in the mathematical algorithm described above for the calculation or derivation of the auxiliary value. It is within the scope of the invention that the combined waveform may be further modified in such a way that its value follows the value of one of the additional auxiliary waveforms during some part or the whole of any of these additional ‘fall-below’ periods.
Claims
1. Apparatus comprising:
- an upscaler configured to upscale a detected waveform or a waveform derived from a detected waveform to provide a first waveform;
- a determiner configured to determine a difference between the first waveform and a second waveform, the second waveform comprising a plateau waveform or a waveform derived from a plateau waveform, to provide a third waveform;
- a scaler configured to scale the third waveform to provide a fourth waveform; and
- a combiner configured to combine the fourth waveform with the second waveform to provide an auxiliary waveform;
- wherein, each of the detected waveform, plateau waveform, and auxiliary waveform has an instantaneous value at each of multiple points in time; and
- the apparatus is configured to provide, for power measurement, a fifth waveform, wherein: when the instantaneous value of the detected waveform exceeds the instantaneous value of the plateau waveform, the fifth waveform is provided with an instantaneous value comprising the instantaneous value of the detected waveform at a corresponding point in time, and when the instantaneous value of the detected waveform does not exceed the instantaneous value of the plateau waveform, the fifth waveform is provided with an instantaneous value comprising the largest of: a) the instantaneous value of the plateau waveform and b) the instantaneous value of the auxiliary waveform at a corresponding point in time.
2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which:
- the first waveform is the detected waveform;
- the second waveform is the plateau waveform; and
- the combiner is configured to provide the auxiliary waveform by combining the fourth waveform with the second waveform.
3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a determiner configured to determine the power of the fifth waveform.
4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, comprising a phase chopper configured to phase chop a power source signal by an amount dependent on the power of the fifth waveform, and providing the phase-chopped signal to a load.
5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upscaler comprises an amplifier.
6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determiner comprises an attenuating resistor network.
7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scaler comprises an attenuating resistor network.
8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combiner comprises a signal modifier and a signal selector.
4642564 | February 10, 1987 | Hurley |
5495245 | February 27, 1996 | Ashe |
5506477 | April 9, 1996 | Davy et al. |
5638287 | June 10, 1997 | Appel |
5757654 | May 26, 1998 | Appel |
- Kitchin et al., “Circuit measures true-rms and average value”, Sep. 26, 2002, EDN, www.edn.com, pp. 104-105.
- Analog Devices, Inc, “Low Cost, Low Power, True RMS-to-DC Converter”, 1999, www.analog.com, pp. 1-8.
- International Search Report dated Oct. 26, 2004, in PCT/GB2004/002255.
- Zhenhua Wang: “Novel Pseudo RMS Current Converter for Sinusoidal Signals Using a CMOS Precision Current Rectifier” IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, IEEE Inc. NY, vol. 39, No. 4, Aug. 1, 1990, pp. 670-671.
- Bublitz, C.: “Echteffektiv-Digitalmultimeter im Vergleich Zum Mittelwert-DMM” Elektrotechnische Zeitschrift—ETZ VDE Verlag GMBH, Berlin, DE, vol. 117, No. 9, May 1, 1996, pp. 24-25.
Type: Grant
Filed: May 27, 2004
Date of Patent: Feb 9, 2010
Patent Publication Number: 20070063753
Inventors: Brian Cuthbertson (Hampstead, London NW 3 6NE), Peter Gordon Davy (Hampstead, London NW 3 6NE)
Primary Examiner: Eliseo Ramos Feliciano
Assistant Examiner: Mary C Baran
Attorney: Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
Application Number: 10/558,213
International Classification: G01R 21/00 (20060101);